


Medium Unexplained

by Kaya4114



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Enemies to Friends, M/M, Medium Ryan, This is what was going to be my fill, Was for the exchange but I had to drop out, to something more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 20:28:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20346238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaya4114/pseuds/Kaya4114
Summary: Shane's show Unraveling the Unexplained is super popular.  The point of the show is to glean the truth.  His boss Devon thinks he isn't looking at every avenue though, so she requests they bring on a Medium for one of their episodes.All to figure out the answer to the age old question:  Are Ghosts real?Shane doesn't think so.   Can Ryan change his mind?





	Medium Unexplained

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LightningRidgeBlackOpal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightningRidgeBlackOpal/gifts).

> So, remember that time I joined the Shyan exchange and then had to drop out cuz of physical health issues?
> 
> Here you go, like a month late haha.
> 
> This prompt was Lightningridgeblackopal‘s prompt for Medium Ryan that I had assigned to me initially before the changeover. I decided to wait a bit before posting so as not to step on the toes of the other person who filled this.

## – Friday May 17th –

The day he’d sent the email he was annoyed. His boss had told him that he wasn’t being as thorough as he should have been about things and that he couldn’t be making the claims he was without exploring every possible avenue. 

Shane grumbled as he typed the words on to the screen.

———————————————————————————  
“Hello, Mr. Bergara,

My name is Shane Madej and I am a

——————————————————————————–

Shane paused. Paranormal investigator? Is that even accurate? 

Rucking his hand through his hair in frustration, the man pulled out his phone and sent a text to his boss.

**_To: Devon_  
This is stupid. What do I even say to the guy? 'Hi I’m Shane and I think what you do is a load of baloney, but would you be willing to be on our show anyway?’**

It wasn’t long before the reply came.

**_From: Devon_  
You tell him that you require the assistance of a Medium to help establish contact with the various spirits that inhabit the places we visit.**

Shane read the text as a scowl dragged along the corners of his mouth. He glanced at the screen again, the email barely even started before looking back at his phone, tapping out his reply.

**_To: Devon_  
Just because you believe in this mumbo jumbo doesn’t make it real, Dev. Our show is about debunking the myth that ghosts exist at all. Morality of the con-man’s job aside, I don’t think he would agree to be on a show that goes against the principals of his work.**

The answering text came swiftly as Shane continued to stare at the open document on his screen.

**_From: Devon_  
Mediums are not con-men Shane. They help people who are dealing with loss by allowing their loved ones to say goodbye, among other things.**

Tapping back to her, Shane heaved a sigh. Devon was a smart person so he couldn’t understand how someone that intelligent would be so illogical when it came to things like this.

**_To: Devon_  
It’s conning people into thinking you can talk to the dead, and playing with the emotions of people who are already suffering enough. Making money off of other’s grief is cruel and wrong on so many levels.**

Just as he hit send, a shock of blond hair made it’s way to his cubical and stood beside him looking stern. Shane looked up at her as Devon frowned at her phone, shaking her head.

"Really Shane? The only reason you think that is because you have never had an experience yourself,” She hung an elbow over the side of the cubicle, leaning to the side casually.

“Because it’s not real, Devon! Ghost’s don’t exist - That’s the whole point of the show!”

Devon pinned him with her gaze, eyes narrowing as she put away her friendly demeanour to put on her, ‘I’m your boss’ tone,

“You don’t know that for sure. That’s why we are doing this, now send the email and I’ll make sure Mark and TJ know we are good to go for next week.”

As she walked off, Shane let out another sigh. This was his life, apparently.

Shane turned back to the computer and reread the credentials of the man Devon had requested he contact for their most recent investigation.  
\-------------------------------------

> **Ryan Steven Bergara  
Psychic Medium LA California**
> 
> 'Hello and welcome to my website. My name is Ryan and I have been a practicing medium for fifteen years, but have had these abilities for as long as I can remember.
> 
> Today, it is an honour to be recognized as one of the most accredited psychic mediums in the country. I have featured on many television shows and talk shows and have helped many people all over the world reconnect with their passed loved ones.
> 
> Because reputation, evidential messages, and genuine authenticity are what differentiate a purposeful reading with a Psychic Medium, I believe it is my moral obligation to provide as much evidence as possible acting as a conduit to the afterlife.
> 
> If you are missing a loved one, feel lost in a world without them, or are just looking for spiritual guidance, please feel free to send an email my way. It is my honour to help you in the healing process.’  
  


Shane scoffed and clicked off the 'about’ section of the web page, mousing over to the man’s contact tab. Scrolling down, he proceeded to copy the information into the header space for the soon-to-be-outgoing email. 

“This is stupid…” Shane mumbled again.

Double checking that everything was spelled correctly, Shane grumbled as he went through the site. Beside the phone numbers and email address was a photo of the supposed psychic. The man looked young, like he was just fresh into his twenties. He had short dark hair, a bronzy complexion and a smile that was, honestly, quite striking. If Shane wasn’t so put off by the man’s ’_profession_’ he might have thought of him as handsome. It was a shame he was using all that charisma to con people. 

Shane scowled, turning back to the email again. It was stupid, but Devon wasn’t budging on this. He began typing again,

———————————————————————————  
“Hello, Mr. Bergara,

My name is Shane Madej and I host a show called Unraveling the Unexplained. We are a show that questions the existence of the supernatural to answer the age-old question, 'Are ghosts real?’

My superior, Devon Joralmon had recommended you to me and request that I send off an email asking if you would be willing to participate in an episode.

I understand that your field of work deals in contacting the spirits of past loved ones, as well as detecting the presence of energies. Please know that while our show takes on a critical view of the existence of the supernatural, we only aim to glean truth rather than to 'be right’ if you will. In our quest for the truth, we wish to pursue all avenues of possibility and the reviews we have heard about your abilities are resoundingly positive.

If you would be willing to join us and lend your skills, perhaps you could set to rest this debate once and for all.

Thank you for your time and we hope to hear from you soon.

-SM   
Unexplained.LTD

——————————————————————————–

Reading it over one final time, Shane only hesitated briefly before forwarding a copy to Devon and hitting send.

For the hundredth time that day, Shane sighed. It was pointless. He didn’t even know why Devon had him bother with it. There was no way that this Ryan guy would want to be on a show with a bunch of skeptics, no matter how professional the email sounded - it would be bad for business.

Turning from his computer, Shane decided he needed a coffee. There was plenty that still needed to be done for the upcoming episode and he didn’t have nearly enough caffeine in his system to think about attractive con-men and their fantasy-land right now.

Rising from his chair, he made his way to the break room with a sigh.

It was way too early on a Friday to be dealing with this.

***

## – Monday May 20th –

The whole thing was stupid. Absurd. Asinine.

So imagine his surprise when just a couple days later, Shane opened his email to find a response.

——————————————————————————–

Greetings Mr. Madej,

Yes, I am aware of your show and you might be surprised to know I am quite a fan, actually. In regards to yourself, Mr. Madej, I am aware of the show’s format and understand that you personally are not exactly the most open to the existence of the afterlife. That’s not a problem. It’s normal for someone to be quite skeptical of things they don’t have the.. brainpower.. to comprehend. None the less, if I might be so bold to tell you, in spite of this fact, you are easily my favourite person on the show.

As such, when I woke to find this email sitting in my inbox I was absolutely delighted! I would be more than happy to accompany you on one of your investigations. I assure you that by the time the episode concludes, you will be a changed man.

I eagerly await your reply, skeptic. ;)

R. Bergara  
LA Medium

——————————————————————————–

Shane reread the email again, the surprise quickly melting into irritation.

"Don’t have the brainpower to comprehend–?… Did he just call me stupid?”

Pulling out his phone, he sent out a text to Devon,

**_To: Devon_  
Your con-man called me stupid.**

Hitting the reply button, Shane began to type up another response to the cocky con artist when Devon’s text came back,

**_From: Devon_  
I’d say it reads more like he’s calling you closed-minded. Which, I gotta tell ya… He’s not wrong.**

Shane turned from his phone back to the email with a frown. Who does this asshole think he is? If it were up to him, Shane wouldn’t even be bothering with this whole thing. But at the end of the day, Devon was the one calling the shots. He began to type.

——————————————————————————–

Mr. Bergara,

I am pleased that you have accepted our proposal to be on the show. I have sent off an email to my boss confirming the times. Please see the attachment that states the date and location where we will be filming.

I look forward to meeting the one who boldly claims that I lack the brainpower to understand basic science. I would argue that you are speaking more about yourself. Hopefully, you can prove me wrong.

See you there,

Shane

——————————————————————————–

Hitting send, it wasn’t long before Devon’s text buzzed on Shane’s phone,

**_From: Devon_  
Very professional /s …You’re really childish, you know that?**

Shane chuckled to himself, putting his phone away not even bothering to respond. He may be childish but Ryan was the one who started it. If the so-called psychic wanted to sling insults, Shane could give as good as he got. Ryan’s the one who agreed to be on the show after all. He would see just exactly how 'changed’ Shane would be when all was said and done. The man rolled his eyes.

Pfft. Not enough brainpower… Sure. Ok.

Turning back to the rest of his mail, Shane continued to finish up the last of the preparations.

He would finally be meeting the asshole that Friday and the lanky skeptic was just hoping that everything would run smoothly for the episode. Shane was actually glad that Ryan had said he was a fan of the show. At the very least, that meant that he didn’t have to pretend to believe in this crap. He could just do what he always does and not have to worry about offending the supposed psychic. The man even said– Shane was his favourite person on the show. Humming in thought, Shane mused to himself quietly.

_Nothing is worse than having to pretend you’re something you’re not. Thinking about it further, perhaps this won’t be so bad. Sure the guy’s a con artist, but he’s not exactly hard on the eyes, and it’ll be an interesting change of pace to have someone else on camera to go back and forth with. At the very least I can debunk his silly claims of ghosts talking to him. Who knows… Maybe this episode could be kind of fun?_

Reaching over and taking a sip of his coffee, Shane smiled into his mug. He would have to see how it all played out. It’d be interesting. That he was sure of.

***

## – Friday May 24th, 6:45 pm –

Hands on the wheel, Shane pulled up to the house to see TJ and Mark already unpacking their equipment from their own car.

“Hey guys. Ready to hunt some ghouls?” He chuckled to them as he stepped out, walking around towards the back and proceeding to open the trunk.

The Unexplained crew had arrived at the house of Mary Anders, ready to start the investigation. TJ and Mark had their camera’s ready and Shane was gathering the last of his equipment from the back of his car.

Devon had sent them all a text, reminding them of the meeting time and the hotel at which Mark and TJ would be returning to after the initial filming was done. Shane would be staying the night as he usually did, however this time he wouldn’t be alone in doing so.

The lanky skeptic felt his phone buzz a second time and pulled it out to see an additional text sent to him that simply read, "Behave yourself.“

Shane rolled his eyes with a smile. Closing the trunk, the next thing he heard was the sound of a car pulling up. The guest of honour had arrived.

A red Prius pulled beside his car as the lanky chocolate haired man turned from the trunk to look.

_'Let’s get this over with,’ _He thought to himself as the driver side door cracked open and the man from the photo stepped out.

Eyes immediately finding Shane’s, the two just stared one another down, a beat of silence between them. There was a challenge in his eyes and the whole moment passed oddly like a charge of electricity- two opposing wills clashing against one another silently.

Besides the fact that he was even better looking in person, Shane noticed, the thing that stood out about him the most was that he was short. Shane couldn’t help his smirk. Ryan returned it challengingly.

Suddenly, "You must be Mr. Bergara,” Came a voice, breaking the moment, “I’m TJ and this is Mark.”

The raven-haired man turned, breaking eye contact to look at the approaching cameraman. The smirk melted into a genuine smile as he addressed Teej brightly, hand extended in a shake, “Hey! Please–just call me Ryan. 'Mr. Bergara’ feels so formal. Anyway, it’s great to meet you both.”

Shaking his hand, TJ nodded before motioning his head towards the taller lanky skeptic, “This guy here is Shane; He’s the one you’ll be on camera with while you both check the place out.”

“Oh, I’m familiar with Shane.” Ryan’s smile turned wry, “I actually am a huge fan of Unexplained,” Ryan replied, his eyes darting back to him briefly, “Although, he’s… Bigger than I had anticipated.”

Shane crossed his arms, leaning against the trunk of his car, his tone smug and kind of mocking, “Well, you’re certainly a lot shorter than I had imagined _you_ to be.”

Ryan glared at him but his smile never faltered, “I think that’s just because you’re so tall, dude. You know, watching those episodes I often wondered to myself how someone could be that dense when evidence is all over the place. Although looking at you now, it makes more sense–you probably don’t get as much oxygen up there, do you?”

Shane chuckled raising an eyebrow. Oh yeah, this was going to be a fun episode.

“Evidence, he says. Because the wind making doors creek is definitely a ghost.”

Ryan rolled his eyes, grabbing a bag from inside his car as Shane continued, “But then, we will have to see how real all this stuff is. That’s why you’re here after all.” The tall man shot him an amused smile.

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Ryan smiled back at him with a wink, “Trust me, big guy… You’ll see just how real it is before the night is through.”

Shane chuckled at the sudden nickname, shaking his head, “Well if you can con me like you do your other clients I’ll be impressed.”

Ryan just blinked up at him, the smile melting away slightly. A moment of silence passed before replying, one hundred percent serious, “I don’t con people into believing in spirits. The spirits are the ones who speak and I just relay what they tell me. There is a reason so many people have reached out to me for guidance.”

Shane nodded along, clearly not buying any of it. Ryan then added, firmly, “…So I would appreciate if you didn’t refer to this as conning people. Besides… Con artists are typically wanted by the police, and last I checked it wasn’t illegal to communicate with the dead.”

Shane laughed, walking towards the house, “Well if it was, I’d tell them we have a Small Medium at Large.”

Ryan stared after him, mouth agape. He wasn’t entirely sure if Shane was being serious at first, but after that comment, he decided that the “con artist” jab was probably just a lead-in to the bit. In response, the raven-haired man chuckled, rolling his eyes, “That was lame, dude.”

TJ and Mark followed, stifling their own giggles.

***

Upon approaching the house, Ryan could already feel the strong energies coming off the place in waves. The raven-haired man knew that the Mary Anders house would be a very active location, but getting the skeptic to actually _realize this_ was going to be the hard part. His work was definitely cut out for him.

Thinking back to when he received the email, the man was surprised. Initially, Ryan had wondered why they would want someone like him to be a guest on their show. Was it to mock him? He saw how Shane tended to be, and if his on-camera persona was how he was in real life, then the whole idea of this just didn’t sit well with him. 

However…

The email did say that they were looking for the truth, and Ryan knew full well what the truth was. It wasn’t his fault that most people couldn’t see it or understand. At first, he was going to decline.

But then the idea came to him that perhaps this was a sign. A lot of the time, the other side tended to guide people towards a certain path. Said person’s journey usually led towards what one would sometimes call 'enlightenment.’ It was how Ryan himself came to accept his abilities and the truth about the other side.

Perhaps that was why this chance had come. If he was being brought on to be mocked, well Ryan would just use this opportunity to educate and maybe open up the eyes of the stubborn skeptic if he was lucky. 

Ryan had stumbled upon the show purely by accident, and though he normally would not entertain himself with shows that used strawman arguments to explain away clear signs that the other side was trying to communicate, there was just something about the lanky chocolate haired host that drew him in.

Shane was funny. Blind, sure, but funny. So the man kept watching episode after episode until he found that he had ended up bingeing the whole thing. It was only once he had finished, that the email had come in.

No, this was definitely a sign. 

And that was how he found himself here now. Ryan knew that he had to get through to the guy. To open his eyes somehow. But that was going to be a challenge. Not only was he taller than Ryan had expected, but he was also just as brash in person as he was on the show, if not more so. Shane turned around and flashed him a cocky smile.

He was also cuter in person as well.

Opening the door to the house, the first thing he noticed was the energies of someone watching them both. Shane turned to the camera, completely oblivious, and started explaining the history.

“This week’s episode of Unraveling the Unexplained, we’re here today to investigate the Mary Anders house - A fifty-year-old building and home of the late Anders family. The family was murdered back in 1969 and roomers say that the ghost of Mary still wanders the halls, looking for her child to make sure they’re safe.

We’re here today to prove whether or not that’s true. However… We’re going to be doing something a little different than we usually do on this show. We have a special guest to try and help find the truth; Mr. Ryan Bergara, esteemed LA Medium.”

Ryan waved at the camera, taking that as his cue to introduce himself, “Hello everyone. I agreed to come today so that I could shed some light on the murky subject of the supernatural, and the first thing I want to say is that this building is teeming with sad energy. I can already tell that something bad went down here and I already feel the sense of eyes on us.”

Shane rolled his own eyes, trying to repress a chuckle. Grinning at the camera, he replied, “Well then we might actually find something today!”

Ryan just side-eyed him as the lanky man added, “I’m excited!”

The two proceeded to wander to the abandoned living-room, Shane taking a seat on the sofa. Teej and Mark followed with their cameras as Ryan knelt down and began to open up his bag that was on his shoulder, grabbing an EMP meter.

“I decided to bring some of my own equipment today to provide a contrast to yours. I felt that it would be more compelling for you if more than one showed the same thing. I am aware that you often blame the equipment for malfunctioning, so when both pieces 'malfunction’ as you seem to think, it’ll be less likely for you to explain it away.”

Shane’s eyes pinned on him as Ryan looked up from his bag with a grin, eyebrow raised.

“That seems fair,” The taller man simply said, “You know how the show works, so I am glad you brought things to help prove your case. I still think that the idea of ghosts is a load of crap, but who knows!” Shane continued, hands in an open gesture, “Maybe you’ll actually catch something.”

Shane turned back to Teej’s camera and shook his head silently with a look that read 'no chance in hell that’s gonna happen’. Ryan rolled his eyes.

From there, the two then held their EMP detectors and began to ask questions. Shane went first, “Oh ghosties! I’m Shane, and this is Ryan. We’re here to talk to you today so come, have a little chat with us!!”

There was a pause of silence as the EMP meter slowly moved back and forth slightly from the zero, but nothing of any major significance happened. Shane threw Ryan a look that screamed 'I told you so’, however, Ryan’s focus was pulled to the corner of the room.

Ignoring Shane, Ryan proceeded to slowly walk towards the corner, the dial on his EMP meter slowly ticking towards the end. Eventually, the signal maxed out. Turning his head back to the skeptic, Ryan simply stated,

“Don’t be so loud when you speak. You’re scaring her.”

Shane rolled his eyes, walking up to the air that Ryan was clearly trying to insinuate was a ghost. The Medium knelt down, his handheld meter still ticking towards the far end, and spoke softly,

“Hello there, little one. Ignore my big mean friend here. Who might you be?”

There was more silence as Ryan listened to the air. Shane’s EMP was also going nuts, but otherwise, it was just am an empty room.

_He has to be doing this someho_w, Shane thought to himself, _maybe with some sort of device he set up outside the house before 'arriving.’ Something that would set off an electronic signal. EMP meters are known to react to power lines and other sources of electricity._

After the pause, Ryan simply said, “I will make sure to tell your mother that. She loves you very much, and I know she wanted me to tell you that.”

As soon as the words left Ryan’s mouth, the EMP meter stopped reacting and went back down to zero, as if nothing happened at all.

Ryan then proceeded to stand, and looked Shane dead in the eyes and said, “She moved on. She needed us to pass on a message to her mother. I promised her I would, so she no longer has any more reason to stay.”

Shane just blinked at him, expression slightly annoyed. He didn’t know how Ryan orchestrated that, but the one thing about his show that he prided himself on was that he was always 100% honest with his viewers. 

“Or,” He simply replied, tone implying he wasn’t buying into Ryan’s tricks, “There could just have been a loose live wire in the wall that was setting off the meters.”

“Then why are the EMP meters not responding the same now, oh skeptic?”

“The wire could have snapped, I don’t know?” Shane shrugged, annoyance peppering his voice, “What I do know is, that isn’t enough evidence to be sure, and for all I know, you could have been just making a convenient conversation from what you thought you were seeing.”

Ryan shrugged, walking back towards the hall. Calling over his shoulder to Shane he simply said, “Whatever you want to think, Madej. You’ll see. We still haven’t found the mother yet, and if your story checks out, she should be wondering around the house. Let’s move on to the next room shall we?”

Shane frowned watching the con-man as he turned the corner. He was infuriatingly confident and Shane couldn’t help but notice the sway of his hips as he walked. Shane couldn’t tell if that annoyed him more.

Damn him for being so attractive. 

***

The kitchen was smaller than Shane had anticipated upon seeing the house from the outside. As the group made their way towards the entry, it looked as though not everyone would be able to fit. The wall between the counter and where one would presumably prepare food only just barely contained enough space for two people to stand. 

A thin layer of dust coated the surfaces of everything flat, and upon the counter space near the sink sat various porcelain bowls among other miscellaneous cookware. It was apparent that the cookery hadn’t been touched in ages. At the end of the cramped space was another doorway that presumably led to the dining room.

Walking ahead of the team, Ryan entered first, stopping at the threshold between the doorway and the next room, pausing only briefly before proceeding to turn around. Shane made his way towards the man, trying not to knock any of the dusty kitchenware off the idle shelves. The two made eye contact.

“So what now, oh powerful seer,” Shane said, a mocking lilt to his voice.

Ryan frowned at him, eyes narrow before turning back around to look out into the dining room, his own back to Shane. He didn’t move.

“This dining room has a lot of negative energy. Something must have happened here,” the Medium said, quietly.

Shane turned back towards the cameras, making eye contact with TJ before looking over towards Ryan again, somewhat annoyed.

_'He probably researched this place’_, Shane thought to himself, ’_and that’s why he knows about the dining room.’_

Shane let out a breath and stepped past Ryan, walking into said dining room and facing the camera that was how trained on him.

“Something did happen here, supposedly. The roomers say that Mary and her husband were poisoned right here at this very table. Most nights after dinner, they were said to share a glass of wine. Some speculate that was how they were done in, shortly after dinner was finished.”

Ryan frowned, looking at the table, his voice quiet with condolence, “I’d hate to think of how her daughter felt when she found them… That would explain why Mary walks the halls. She never got to know if her kid was ok…”

There was a haunted quality to Ryan’s voice as he continued, “Little Elizabeth from earlier said that she found her mom sleeping at the table and wouldn’t wake up to tuck her into bed…”

The thought of a young child finding their parents dead at the dinner table, just before bed sent a cold chill up Shane’s spine. A mental image of the kid all alone, the entire house dark and empty….All except for the mother and father who appeared to be sleeping until their bodies go cold. Little Lizzy shaking her mother “Mama, wake up. You promised to tuck me in. Mama? Mama…”

His eyes drew to Ryan who was not looking at him, but instead at the chair at the head of the table.

Shane frowned, berating himself. There’s no way for Ryan to know that’s what happened. He had to be making it up, just to build the tension. Not that Shane minded, as that would probably be great for the show, but the last thing he wanted to do was lie to his viewers with false ghost stories. That’s not what Unexplained was about.

“We don’t know for sure if that’s how they died,” Shane said, his voice tinted slightly with irritation. Ryan just looked over at him with an expression that read, 'really, dude?’

Instead, he simply said, “It makes the most sense… ”

“For all we know, they could have been murked by a robber or something. No one knows how they died. The poisoned wine is just one of the more popular theories.”

There was a moment between them where Ryan just stared at him before flashing the man a beautifully cocky smile, moving on towards the next room, Shane following only a step behind.

“Whatever you say, dude.”

***

The group continued to make their way through the house, Shane explaining the history of each room and the various stories associated with the Anders family. All the while in the back of his head, he couldn’t get Ryan’s smile out of his mind.

The man was attractive, and it was distracting. He also had a quality about him that made the nonsense he spewed about the place almost believable. Shane was being sucked in and he hated every second of it.

Finally, it came time for the camera crew to leave and it was just the two of them: Psychic and Skeptic. Alone for the rest of the overnight.

Before TJ and Mark left, Ryan had said he was going to go set up his things. He then proceeded to wander up the stairs as Mark headed out the door and TJ and Shane said their goodbyes.

“This guy’s a real whack job,” Teej chuckled under his breath, just loud enough for only Shane to hear.

Shane laughed a little himself, casting a glance at the stairs before returning his gaze to TJ, amused.

“Yeah, but Devon insisted we bring him on. If anything, this episode will be good for views. It’s a real tragic case though… A kid left without her parents and being the one to find them dead at the dinner table, potentially.”

“Yeah. Not the happiest story… But then murder usually isn’t, is it?” 

The two shared another chuckle.

“Well, I doubt that we’ll catch anything on camera, anyway,” Shane said, “I mean, we never do.”

At that, TJ’s eyes widened a bit in memory. Suddenly, the man spoke, “Oh, shit! Speaking of– I forgot to grab the camera bag that I left in the dining room. Would you mind grabbing it for me? My hands are kinda full.”

Shane shrugged, “Sure thing, Teej,” before making his way down the hall towards the room, and placing his phone on the table before picking the bag up with two hands. It was heavy.

Wandering back to the door, he slung the bag around his cameraman’s shoulders with a grin, “Here ya go, Teej.”

“Thanks.”

Then turning to go, TJ finished, "Well, you guys have a good night. I’ll send Devon a text to say we’re on our way back to the hotel. Oh, and try not to kill each other before the night is through. We don’t need to do an episode of 'The mysterious murder of Shane Madej’.“

"What makes you think I’m the one who’d be killed?”

TJ just shrugged, “Sometimes you can be too stubborn for your own good.”

Shane rolled his eyes and went to shut the door, making his way to the stairs. The sound of a hearty laugh could be heard just behind it as the lanky man ascended, heading towards the bedrooms.

***

Ryan dug into his pack and began to pull out his sleeping bag, Shane doing the same. The two had decided to sleep in the child bedroom, as Ryan was adamant that this was the most likely place for Mary to turn up.

Mary was said to wander the halls looking for her child to make sure she’s safe, so it made the most sense. Shane had agreed.

“So what are ya gonna do when we go to sleep tonight and no ghost of a grieving mother arrives to scare us, Ryan?”

Shane pulled out a baggy T-shirt from his pack, his back to Ryan as he spoke, “Are you going to finally admit that this psychic ghost communication stuff is bullshit?”

Ryan’s tone was airy as he responded, “It’s not bullshit, and you will see that when Mary does eventually reveal herself tonight.”

Shane turned around, mouth open to respond but upon doing so, came face to face with a topless bare-chested Ryan. Suddenly, the words on the tip of his tongue died.

Ryan was kneeling laying out the bag, the dim glow from their flashlights highlighting the contours of the man’s surprisingly built stature. His shoulders were toned and pecs were prominent as he then stood from his bag, his eyes meeting Shane’s.

“I know you don’t believe in this stuff,” He said, voice softening. Shane felt a heat creep upon his cheeks. There was a moment as the two looked at one another before a smile pulled the corners of the Medium’s lips. One that was surprisingly kind, the hint of challenge gone, “Even if you don’t… I’m glad you invited me to be on your show.”

Ryan then looked away, his eyes on the ceiling as he went on, a sigh escaping his lungs as he explained, “This isn’t some dick size competition for me, dude. At the end of the day, my job is to help people move on. Whether that be the living or the dead. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to help lay these uneasy souls to rest.”

Ryan continued to speak, lowering himself down cross-legged onto his sleeping bag, his eyes returning to Shane’s.

“Even if you edit the video to make me look like some crazy person talking to the air, I’m happy that you let me come on this grand adventure with you. Elizabeth is resting peacefully now. I can only hope that Mary will visit us too so that I can pass on her message.”

As the two just stared at one another, the words sunk in. It was at that point, Shane realized that Ryan was not lying. There was a calm and somewhat private happiness that seemed to flicker in the man’s eyes, and Shane could tell. The Medium truly believed in what it was he did. 

Though the idea that ghosts were real was something Shane couldn’t force himself to believe in, Shane came to a compromise in his head.

“Ryan,” He found himself saying, “I may not believe in ghosts… But I think I believe in you.”

The moment stretched out as the smile on Ryan’s face grew slow and warm, Shane’s own echoing back. Wordlessly, the shorter man proceeded to unzip his bag, climbing in. There was another beat of silence before he uttered a quiet, "Thanks, Shane..“

Shane tugged the baggy shirt over his head, before climbing into his own sleeping bag, positioned about a foot away from the shorter man’s own.

”..You know…,“ Shane eventually mumbled, ”…I hope she does visit us..“

Ryan rolled over to look at him, the dim glow of the flashlight illuminating the immediate area. The room was quiet, not even a creak or sound from the house settling. Shane continued, snuggling deeper into the bag,

”.. I mean. For me, this is just a house. A house where tragic shit went down, but nothing is here anymore. However… If for you, this is a chance to set someone free– If you really believe for yourself that you are doing good in the world… I really hope that there _is_ something. Not so that one of us can be proven wrong or right… But because I think…“

Shane trailed off, letting the words fall. Ryan continued to watch him as the silence stretched.

After another moment, he continued instead, ”…You’re a good person, Ry. I was wrong about you. I’m sorry for calling you a con artist.“

The sudden nickname along with the admission gave the shorter man a slight pause as he regarded Shane in the bag next to him. Eventually, he responded quietly, "Don’t worry about it, dude.”

Rolling over again to stare at the ceiling, Ryan continued, “Not everyone understands it. I get a lot worse sometimes from other skeptics.”

As the man spoke, Shane couldn’t help how he noticed the way the light reflected off of his eyes, upturned to the beams above. The deep chocolate hues were warm and soulful. A shiny pinprick of yellow-white off the side from the reflecting flashlight between them. His hair was soft looking, tousled lightly, probably from removing his shirt before bed.

He was beautiful. 

But still, there was a lonely undertone to the cadence of his voice as he spoke. Almost like a quiet sadness. Shane found that he didn’t like that fact.

“Your email said the show was only trying to find the truth. I hope tonight, whatever happens, you can make peace with that. Sure, I can tell you that _I know_ what the truth is regarding spirits and the afterlife… about all this,” Ryan gestured, looking back over at Shane again, "But I can’t make you believe me, and I get that. I’m… I’m still happy you invited me here though. I’m used to people not believing me. It’s hard growing up with everyone thinking you’re a weirdo.“

Shane frowned as the man continued, "But if I can just help one person, I’ve done my job… So, thank you for giving me that opportunity, dude. … And, thanks for believing in me.”

A smile pulled the corners of Ryan’s mouth once more as he reached over towards the flashlight. As the room went dark, the last lingering thought Shane had was how much more that very smile suited the man beside him.

And about how Shane was the cause that smile.

***

Sometimes he was glad that he was a light sleeper. Sitting up in his bag, Ryan cast a glance around the room, the energies much more sorrowful than three hours ago when himself and the skeptic beside him had that heart-to-heart before bed.

Shane was snoring lightly and the air in the room seemed thick.

She was near.

Rising from the sleeping bag, Ryan reached for his handheld infrared camera. The point of Unexplained was to find proof of the afterlife. Turning towards where the tingles around him led, Ryan slowly padded forward with the camera in hand. Ryan’s ultimate goal was something much grander scheme than just getting proof. He promised Elizabeth he would deliver her message.

At the sound of footsteps beside him, Shane slowly began to rouse. Slowly opening his bleary eyes, Shane could make out a shadow in the corner. Immediately, adrenalin surged through him and he was wide awake in seconds.

Shane sat up and turned to shake Ryan awake, only to find that Ryan wasn’t in the sleeping bag beside him. Turning his eyes back to the corner where he saw the shadow, his eyes landed on Ryan, who was just staring at the wall, holding the camera and fiddling with it.

“Did you find something?” He found himself asking. His voice was sharp in the silence of the room. Ryan didn’t respond, continuing to just stand there fiddling with the hand cam.

After a pause, Shane was up, walking toward where Ryan was standing. That’s when he saw it–

In the corner, it almost looked as if there was a silhouette of a woman. Like a weird unnatural darkness to the area, as if the light from their cameras didn’t reach.

_'It has to be a trick of the light_,’ Shane thought to himself.

Finally, Ryan spoke, “Dude… Mary is right in front of us. Her energy is filling the room. It was what woke me up.”

The skeptic shared a look between the shadow and Ryan. It had to be a trick of the light. There was no way that murky shadow was a ghost.

“Ryan… I know what I said earlier, but I really don’t think that—”

“Shhh. She’s talking.”

Shane closed his mouth and listened. He thought it was stupid, but if Ryan believed there was something here, then he might as well give him the chance to do his job. Help the spirit move on or whatever.

The silence stretched as Ryan listened, the room as quiet as death. Finally, Ryan responded, “I saw Elizabeth. She told me to tell you that she is doing perfectly ok. She wanted to say goodnight, and that she loves you. I made sure to tell her that you love her too, Mary.”

There was another pause as Ryan looked like he was listening to whatever it was this shadow was telling him. Shane shook his head, rubbing his eyes. This was ridiculous. 

It was just a shadow that had a convenient shape. The suggestion that it was the ghost of Mary was why the shape looked like the silhouette of a woman. A little light would make it vanish.

Shane reached for his phone.

…

His phone was not in his pocket. Suddenly, panic spiked, “Shit.. Where’s my phone?”

Ryan turned from the shadow, glancing a look at Shane, “You don’t have your phone?”

Shane patted his pockets, to no avail. Then, he wandered towards where his sleeping bag was laid out. Ryan stayed in the corner, his eyes back on the shadow.

_'Shit, shit, shit… Devon is gonna kill me if I lost my work phone.’_

As Shane rustled around his sleeping area, the phone was nowhere to be seen. Looking up, Ryan’s eyes met his and Shane shook his head.

“I’m gonna be in so much shit tomorrow,” He said with an irritated sigh. It was then that Ryan turned his attention from Shane back to the corner.

“…. Oh, really?” Ryan’s tone suddenly darkened. His words were polite but clipped, “Thank you for that, Mary. Forgive my companion, he doesn’t really believe that you’re here so take my thanks as his.”

Shane frowned at him, confused at the comments. Why did Ryan sound suddenly so upset?

“What are you going on about?” he asked.

Ryan simply walked back to their sleeping bags, sitting down next to where Shane was standing and crawling back inside of his own for the rest of the night.

“Mary has moved on now that I delivered the message.”

Shane just stared down at the Medium who was now rolling over in the bed, as if to go back to sleep. A frown tugged the corners of his lips as he considered asking.

It was stupid. There was no way that the shadow was actually Mary. But then, why would Ryan be thanking her on Shane’s behalf? He felt dumb for asking, but his curiosity won out.

“Naw, man. What were you talking to…to… Mary about– What were you thanking her for?”

There was another stretch of silence as Ryan didn’t answer. Then a smug grin pulled at his lips, “Does that mean you actually believe that was her?” His voice sounded bitter.

“–I’m not saying that the shadow was–”

“–Than you have no reason to wonder why I thanked her,” he responded curtly.

Sitting down, Shane crawled back into his sleeping bag, cursing under his breath. He couldn’t parse why Ryan was suddenly pissy. More silence loomed as the curiosity dug at him. 

Finally, Shane sighed, “Ok fine. The shadow did have the shape of a woman, and I can not disprove that it was Mary. Now, what was it you were thanking her for?”

Without turning over, Ryan responded, his voice tight, “Your phone is downstairs on the dining room table. You left it there by accident when you were retrieving the camera bag for TJ before he left. Also, I am not a whack job, thank you very much.”

Shane stiffened. 

How did he know this? Ryan was upstairs getting his bags and things set up when the crew were leaving, and even if he was hiding at the top of the stairs, TJ had _whispered_ that to him and the two shared a laugh.

Which meant, logically, that either Ryan read his mind… Or…

The silhouette was the ghost of Mary.

Suddenly, their conversation from earlier returned to him. It was clear why Ryan was upset. He thought Shane was lying to him earlier about believing in him, and that Shane actually thought Ryan was crazy.

Shane didn’t feel so great now.

“Ryan, I don’t think you’re a whack job,” He said, trying to clear the air.

Ryan’s voice came muffled from in his sleeping bag, “That’s not what you said downstairs, apparently.”

Shane’s lips pulled into a further frown as he rolled onto his belly and braced himself on his elbows, “TJ was the one who said it, not me. I just… kind of agreed with him at first. I don’t now.”

“Of course you don’t now. I just got you the proof you always wanted. Unless you’re going to deny that too.” 

Ryan sounded hurt. Shane sighed.

Just when they seemed to be making peace between them. Shane rolled back onto his back, the thoughts and events of the evening swirling around in his head. His whole worldview was shattered and he was too tired to process it all. 

For now, all Shane wanted to see was the smile back on Ryan’s face again.

“I’m sorry, Ryan. I mean it. What I said earlier, I meant. I even apologized for calling you a con artist… I meant that. I… I believe you.”

Ryan turned to look at him, the two sharing a gaze.

“I think your infrared camera is out of batteries by the way… I couldn’t get it to turn on. So you don’t really have the proof you demanded in order to believe me.”

Shane cast his gaze down to his hands that were folded in front of him.

“That doesn’t matter anymore…” He said.

There was a stretch of quiet that extended long enough that Shane wondered if Ryan fell asleep. Suddenly, the man’s words filled the room.

“It’s ok, dude. I’m sorry for getting pissy. I’m just not used to people actually believing me. I’m always the butt of the joke. Ol’ _'Crazy-boy Bergara_’.”

Once more the man’s voice was sad. Ryan continued, "So when you told me that you thought I was a good person and that you believed me, I felt like…I dunno.. Maybe we could be friends or something. Then I heard _that_.“

Ryan sighed, "I felt like you might have been just mocking me as everyone else did. I just… I really wanted you to believe me. Unexplained is a great show and you… You’re… You’re super cool, dude. I figured if I could show you the truth, then maybe we…”

The Mediums words trail off as he lets the sentence hang. Shane thinks about the events of the day. Even without the proof, he witnessed for himself that Ryan was truly someone special. Maybe this didn’t have to be the end of their partnership.

“Well… I may have witnessed the proof, but since we don’t have any on record… What do you say we bring you on for the next location or two?”

There was a smile in his voice as he said it. Ryan sat up, looking at him.

“Really?!”

Shane, still leaning on his elbows gave him a wink, “Yeah. I think your expertise today will be an invaluable asset for_ unravelling the unexplained_.”

A sudden laugh rang out from the shorter man as he grinned over at Shane with mirth.

_‘Yeah.. a smile really does suit him best_‘, Shane thought to himself, ‘_And I’d love to be the cause of that smile.’ _

A light blush began to tint his cheeks as Shane contemplated his next words. 

“One condition on that, though,” Shane added, feeling bold.

“Oh?” Ryan responded, a curious tone to his voice. Throwing the man another wink, Shane smiled into the rest of the request. It was a crazy night. What did he have to lose? His voice didn’t even shake that much as he spoke,

“Come out to coffee with me tomorrow morning.”

There was another silent pause before the response. Suddenly, the Medium was in Shanes’s face, pressing a small kiss to the man’s lips. It was tentative and soft. Pulling back, Ryan flashed him a smile of his own.

“I’d love to.”

As their eyes lingered on one another, a warm feeling filled the man’s heart. 

They had no proof that what they saw was Mary Anders, but somehow, Shane didn’t care anymore. It didn’t matter if he was right or wrong. He still wasn’t sure if ghosts were real. But if Ryan was coming with him from now on, Shane was excited to find out.

***


End file.
